Sale needs to build arm strength. Easing up on him and having him throw 150 innings next year and /or the year after could leave you in a predicament when yo do need him to pitch 220 innings. The Sox have been one of the most successful teams in baseball keeping their pitchers healthy. I think they know what they are doing better than any of us, but I am sure someone is about to tell me how wrong I am.

Could you go 170-180 in 2014 and reasonably expect that he could make a jump to 200 in 2015 and then 220 in 2016?

That would be where I would want to talk to the medical experts is to what it takes to stretch someone out for 10-20 more innings in a year.

My personal thought: I don't want to see him over 200 innings next year if we aren't serious competitors. If it means 175...180...that's fine. If we have Floyd back and he starts in the pen, we need to see what he can do as an option back in the rotation.